Life After Weight Loss Surgery

Your Hospital Stay

Most patients are in the hospital for one or two days. After surgery patients recover in a dedicated unit where a compassionate staff, experienced in caring for surgical patients, will care for you. You will be offered special menus to ensure you get the nutrition you need for a successful recovery. Patients can begin to exercise after surgery on a walking track and even record the number of laps and length of the walks you take as part of the recovery process.

Highland Hospital also has an in-house pharmacy where your prescriptions can be filled before you go home.

At Home

For one week, you’ll be on a liquid meal plan as your body heals from the surgery. Following your first check-up appointment at the one-week mark, you will be on a pureed meal plan for several weeks, depending on which procedure you choose. On the pureed meal plan, all of your food will need to be blended to the consistency of baby food.

You will be able to drive once you are off pain medication. Many patients can return to work after two weeks

Ongoing Support

Highland Bariatric Surgery Center is committed to support you to be successful in your healthy lifestyle goals.

Recipes - Our dietitians work closely with our patients to help you adjust to new eating habits and increased physical activity.

Monarch Support Group - Free meetings are held monthly and are open to individuals who have had bariatric surgery or who are considering surgery. This group provides a calm and reassuring atmosphere where individuals can express their feelings openly, learn from others and have access to medical professionals. Support persons are also encouraged to attend.

Our Facebook page - Want to get in touch with others who have had surgery or are considering it? Join our Facebook page!

Exercise - Exercise will be an important part of your life. You should work to slowly incorporate more exercise into your daily routine to increase your energy levels.

Life After Weight Loss Surgery - Sometimes after having bariatric surgery and losing a significant amount of weight, some people can develop loose skin that causes difficulty with rashes, walking, or fitting into clothes. If you are considering surgery to address this issue we can help you get in touch with a qualified surgeon.

Follow up appointments - You’ll have several follow up appointments and one check-in appointment every year near the anniversary of your surgery. And we’ll always be here for you if you need support.

It is important to remember that surgery is not a cure but a tool to help reduce excess body weight. Effectively implementing lifestyle changes including a meal plan and developing new eating behaviors will determine your degree of long-term success. Our dietitians will support you through healthy weight loss, help you meet daily nutritional requirements, be nourished and satisfied with your meals and embrace your lifestyle changes.